August 20, 2003

NYT GETS THE SMH TREATMENT

Apologies to the New York Times, wrongly criticised by me earlier. Seems the article in question was incompetently rewritten by the Sydney Morning Herald. Here’s the original NYT copy:

But at the faltering start of a peace effort opposed by many right-wing Israelis, worry about terror attacks by Jews is growing.

And here’s the Sydney Morning Herald’s rewrite, which changes “growing worry about terror attacks” to a “growing number of terror attacks”:

There is concern about the growing number of terrorist attacks by right-wing Israelis opposed to the already faltering peace plan.

Both articles cite seven dead Palestinians in two years. Of course, since then we’ve had another attack, by Palestinians upon Israelis. Nineteen dead in an instant:

A suspected Palestinian suicide bombing has ripped apart a bus in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish area of Jerusalem, killing at least 19 people including children and dealing a deadly blow to a truce.

As James Morrow points out, the SMH has left its earlier report on the front page of its website, leading to an interesting clash of headlines ...

Posted by Tim Blair at August 20, 2003 11:36 AM
Comments

How come very strict Jews are always described as "ultra-Orthodox" but mouth-foaming Mullahs are never described as "ultra-Orthodox" Muslims?

Posted by: Irene A. at August 20, 2003 at 12:25 PM

Because unlike Judaisim, Islam is a religion of peace, everyone knows that. So the Mullahs aren't *real* Muslims, but the Orthodox Jews are *real* Jews.

Posted by: Glenn Slaven at August 20, 2003 at 12:34 PM

Marr will undoubtedly pick them up for it.

Posted by: Jim at August 20, 2003 at 01:01 PM

This would have to be the worst ever instance of deliberate ambiguity - to suggest that the attacks themselves, rather than the concern over the attacks, were by the right-wing Israelis.

I can hear the pathetic David Marr-esque rebuttal now...

Posted by: wv at August 20, 2003 at 02:28 PM

"Ultra-orthodox" probably sounds a little better than "fundamentalist", but I suppose that depends on your ear and your point of view. "Fundamentalist Jews"? Not sure about that one. What say ye?

Posted by: Ferg at August 20, 2003 at 05:11 PM

It's 'terrorist right-wing Israelis' but 'Palestinian suicide bombers'.

How about Palestinian terrorists? mass murderers?

Palestinians victims. Even when they blow up a bus full of children.

Posted by: ilibcc at August 20, 2003 at 06:51 PM

I wonder how many of those "Jewish terror attacks" were actually Jews shooting armed Palestinian intruders who were breaking into their homes to kill their children?

Especially considering that killing an attacker in self-defense is considered a crime in the "enlightened" part of the world that all leftists claim to be a part of...

Posted by: Tatterdemalian at August 20, 2003 at 09:49 PM